Everyone belongs: Celebrating Harmony Day as a community

This year more than ever, it was so important that the School came together to celebrate Harmony Day.

Harmony Day is a day to feel proud of the cultural diversity and sense of belonging in Australia, a multicultural country. We are aware that all cultures, religions and races should be valued and respected every day, not just on this day, and we know that respect and understanding are essential for us to take a step forward in the elimination of discrimination of any kind.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, in 2018, 29 per cent of the Australian population were born overseas. Multiculturalism is such a deeply rooted part of Australia’s national identity, and it is something we all need to respect and acknowledge. We must remember that we all live in this same world together. As individuals, we have different ways of thinking, we might have different sexualities, religions, ethnicities and nationalities. There have been so many conflicts stemming from these differences which can lead to undesirable situations, so it is important for us to create a sense of unity and to establish a community where we can share our feelings and thoughts freely and happily because Carey is a place that embraces these differences instead of turning away from them.

The identity of each individual is defined by so much more than any irrational labelling, outdated stereotype or arbitrary judgment. After three years at Carey we personally think our school – from staff to students to parents – has done a great job in helping each other understand this fact. We feel proud that as Carey students we are always able to establish mutual respect and understanding of each other.

As the coronavirus (COVID-19) has been threatening the wellbeing of people around the world, we feel quite concerned but we have hope that the situation will get better soon. At the same time, we believe that humankind is facing a challenge against our own selves, not just the virus. Our hearts are broken when we go on social media and see people getting mistreated due to their ethnicity, or when we read that businesses are suffering due to stigma and fear. The virus does not pick its targets from based on geography, religion or ethnicity. And yes, we all have a reason to be scared, but we should not let this fear dictate our behaviour. Now is the time for us to fight against the disease without any discrimination or prejudice as a united, harmonious community and family.

If by life you were deceived, Don't be dismal, don't be wild! In the day of grief, be mild. Merry days will come, believe.

Heart is living in tomorrow; Present is dejected here; In a moment, passes sorrow; That which passes will be dear.
– Alexander Pushkin

Supporting each other and staying connected with our communities is more important than ever, so our staff and students collaborated to put together a positive and important message to the Carey community, which you can watch here.

Take care everyone, and we will see you soon.

Most sincerely,

Carol Le and Yicheng Lian
CLOSA Captains